Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate and analyze the surgical results in patients undergoing operations for multiple for multiple valvular heart diseases. Material and method: From April 1982 to June 1997 multiple valve replacement was performed in 150 patients mitral and aortic valve replacement were done in 135 patients mitral and tricuspid valve replacements in 10 patients triple replacements in 4 patients and aortic and tricuspid valve replacement in 1 patient. Of the valves implanted 157 were St. Jude 104 Duromedics 20 Carpenter-Edwards 6 Bjork-Shiley 6 Ionescu-Shiley and 2 Medtronics. Result: The hospital mortality rate was 10.7% (16/150) and the late mortality rate was 7.2% (8/134) The mortality rate was high in early operative period but decreased with time. The causes of death were low cardiac output in 9 sudden death in 3 congestive heart failure in 3 bleeding in 2 cerebral thrombosis in 1 leukemia in 1 multiorgan failure in 1 and so on . The actuarial survival rate excluding operative death was 83.1% at 15 years. Conclusion: With a follow-up now extending to 15 years the multiple valve replacement continues to be reliable procedure with relatively low mortality and morbidity.